“The Greeks are hard to govern, so we must strike deep into their cultural roots. That way we may knock some sense into them. What I mean, is that we must strike their language, their religion, their cultural and historical heritage in order to eliminate any possibility of their progress, prominence and domination so that they would stop having a say in the Balkans, the east Mediterranean and the Middle East, which are the key areas of great strategic importance for the policy of the United States of America”. Henry Kissinger.

«Mussolini envisaged a triumphant military parade of probably not more than a week’s duration, it was immaterial to him as what time of the year it might start.Italian forces had occupied British Somaliland; They had penetrated into Kenya and the Sudan; Graziani had gone forward nearly a hundred miles into Egypt; Nowhere had the Italian troops as yet withdrawn. And so it was unthinkable that Greece should provide any serious opposition.....................

»The world was prepared to see Greece fall an easy victim of aggression. How could the courage and resolution of the Greek dictator and the spirit of the Greek people prevail over the Italian preponderance of force? Despite her commitments in Africa, Italy had massed upon the Albanian frontier troops which outnumbered the Greek defenders by nearly four to one. Possessing no tanks themselves and very few aircraft, the Greeks were quarantee to resist Italian armour or Italian attacks from the air. And yet the unexpected happened. Heroic Greek endeavour brought a triumph of Greek arms».

«GREECE AND CRETE» By Christopher Buckley, Pages 8 & 9.

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«...By the advice of the War Cabinet and from his own heart, His Majesty replied to the King of the Hellenes: Your cause is our cause; We shall be fighting against a common foe.

I responded to the appeal of General Metaxas: ‘’We will give you all the help in our power.* We will fight a common foe and we will share a united victory’’».

WINSTON CHURCHILL (28-10-1940)

(The Second World War, Book 4, page 191)

* The Lynch – pin

«The Italian attack on Greece called for the British assistance against aggression guaranteed in April 1939 ; but the occasion was hardly propitious. Britain’s exiguous land and air forces were urgently required for defence of the mother country against the the most formidable threat of invasion that we had ever known. What could be spared for service elsewhere was required with scarcely less urgency for the defence of our position in the Middle East, based on the Nile and the Suez Canal and how much weakened by the defection of France, whose co-operation had of course been assumed at the time that the guarantee was given. The Middle East was regarded as the lynch-pin of the whole Empire ; if that went, the war could be lost almost as surely as if Britain herself were to be invaded».

«GREECE AND CRETE» By Christopher Buckley, Page 10.

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“Upwards of 5.000 British and Imperial troops were left somewhere in Crete and were authorised by General Wavell to capitulate. Many individuals, however, dispersed in the mountainous island, which is 160 miles long. They were succoured by the villagers and Country folk who were mercilessly punished whenever detected. Barbarous reprisals were made upon innocent or valiant peasants, who were shot by twenties and thirties. It was for thatreason that I proposed to the Supreme war Council, three years later in 1944, that local Crimes should be locally judged and the accused persons sent back for trial on the spot. This principle was accepted and some of the outstanding debts were paid.”

“The Second World War” By Winston Churchill, Volume III p.266.

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“ We cannot forget what we owe to the Greeks. They were the first people in Europe who not only stood up to the aggressor, but also threw him out of their country and chased him through another. We owe the Greeks a very great debt because they were the first to prick the bubble of Italian invincibility, and by doing so gave us the chance to carry on with the good work…”

Cyril Falls, speaking on the B.B.C., 15.1.1941

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“…To the Greek army falls the honour of the first great victories on land. Its glorious resistance to Fascist forces afforded us advantages which we have already been able to exploit…”.

( THE TIMES, January 15, 1941 )

“…For the first time millions of men and women in Europe felt a new hope. It breathed a new spirit into Continental Europe and inspired free men in every land…”J.L.GARVIN, commenting on the Greek Army’s victories in Northern Epirus – Albania against the Fascists.

(THE TIMES, February 2, 1941)

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“…Greece might be a small Power, but she had shown herself to be a great nation – When victory was won, a new Greece would then arise to be the temple of that spirit which had thrilled and warmed the heart of every man throughout the world”.

Arthur Greenwood (Minister without portfolio ).

( THE TIMES, April 26, 1941 ).

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“ ...The free For French send their greetings to the Greek People who are fighting for freedom. March 25, 1941 finds Greece at the height of her heroic endeavours and the summit of her glory. Not since the battle of Salamis has Greece achieved such greatness and glory as she has today…”

(Charles De Gaulle from London to General Metaxas - On the occasion of the Anniversary of the Greek Revolution in 1821 ).

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A characteristic report sent to “THE TIMES” in London by their correspondent in Ankara on November 12, 1941.

“After reviewing the events of the last 16 months closely but surprisingly interrelated, one is tempted to conclude that an incident of comparatively little moment, which occurred in a small country – an emphatic “NO” uttered in the small hours of the morning by an elderly, ill and already doomed Greek statesman – was the beginning of a train of events of supreme importance with far – reaching consequences affecting the greatest powers of Europe. “

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“…Nevertheless the month of October saw a sudden quickening in the pace of events. On October 28th Mussolini took the step which was, in the long run, to be so fatal to the fortunes of the Axis, by declaring war on Greece…”.

“The Battle for the Mediterranean” By Donald Macintyre, page 35.

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“…The Greek nation refused to submit to Axis intimidation. Her effort combined with our own, have already destroyed one of the Axis associates as a military power and have forced Germany to take over the destinies of Italy. It is not improbable that the action of that small but gallant nation will have marked the beginning of final disruption of National – Socialism”.

From an Order of the Day, by the Commander of gallant Australian forces in the Middle East, General Blamy (15th of April1943 ).

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“…To those who prefer to compromise, to follow a course of expedience, to appease, or to count the cost, I say that Greece has set the example which every one of us must follow until the despoilers of freedom everywhere have been brought to their just doom…”

Franklin D. Roosevelt

(Last paragraph from a letter from the President to the Ambassador of Greece in Washington D.C. on October 28, 1942 - Second anniversary of the Greece’s “NO” to fascists invaders).

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“President Roosevelt stated yesterday that aid had been and would continued to be extended to Greece, whatever the “temporary outcome” of the war there (says the Exchange).

The President made his statement to a delegation of the Greek-American organisation “Ahepa”. He said he believed the Greeks would ultimately be victorious and would regain their political independence, “In that high objective they can count on the help and support of the Government and people of the United States,” he declared and added that their heroic struggle to defend their homes and liberties “against aggression by Germany, after so signal a defeat of the Italian attempt at invasion, has stirred the heart and aroused the sympathy of the whole American people”.

( THE TIMES, Saturday April 6, 1941).

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“…We were always aware of the fact that the Greeks, while defending the mountain passes of the Epirus against the Fascists, were also defending the road to Turkey and to Istanbul. In struggling to liberate their own country, the Greeks simultaneously guarded our Fatherland also. In future, we shall live in liberty and independence…”

“Hundreds of thousands of Germans have perished or will perish in the snows of Russia because in one tiny corner of Europe a King and his people said that, come what might, they would never submit.

(THE TIMES , November 6, 1941)

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“It is not an exaggeration to say that Greece overturned totally the German plans by its resistance in that the German attack against Russia was delayed by clearly five weeks. I really wonder what would have been today the situation of our Russian allies?”

Sir Harold Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty, during his speech in London, end of October 1941 for the First Anniversary of the Greek “NO”.

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“The German attack against Greece started on April 6, 1941 and they used 27 division for this purpose out of which seven were armoured – about one third of the total Germany disposed at the time. As officially stated the repercussions of the delay on the march of the Germans due to their attack against Greece and Crete, had not only affected their plans for Syria and Persia, but had also proved disastrous for the launching of their onslaught against Russia. The German army reached the outskirts of Moscow by October 1941, when the premature freeze had started to hinder their moves. Should they had arrived 5 weeks earlier, the Russian capital would have been captured, a fact whose consequences would have been incalculable…”

Admiral Andrew Cunningham, Chief of Mediterranean fleet. From his book “A sailor’s Odyssey”.

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On the occasion of the Greek National Day on the 25th of March 1945, Moscow Radio delivered an inspired talk on the gallantry and heroism of the Greek nation. The speaker referred to the flame of freedom which has burned in the souls of the Greeks since the day when, under the magnificent leadership of the heroes of 1821, they began their War of Independence, The speaker described with what gallantry in modern times the Greek nation has fought with unequal strength against the Fascist invader and astonished the world with the military achievements of her children, who, in spite of their superhuman courage and bravery, succumbed to the invader’s yoke and endured innumerable ordeals for more than three years without loosing any of their legendary enthusiasm for the struggle for freedom.

Moscow Radio Station, 25th of March 1945.**

** Nevertheless, at the Peace Conference in Paris, the late V. Molotov, Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, was the only one of the Allies who Vetoed so the proposal to grant Northern Epirus to Greece. Northern Epirus has been also liberated by the Greek Army in 1914 during the First World War but due to Italian Veto the Union with Greece was rejected.